Category Archives: Meetings

MBUG November General MeetingWEDNESDAY, November 8, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

As we gather for what may well be the final official general meeting of MBUG-PC, we are fortunate to have one of our outstanding contributors return as the featured speaker. Mike Wecker, owner of Carmel Computers, will lead our discussion at the November general meeting to update us on common computer software and operating issues that are faced by users at all levels of experience, including preventing ransomware intrusion, using various backup techniques, and restoring from an “image” file.

Wecker has been a frequent speaker at MBUG and always provides a valuable and interesting question-and-answer session, presenting problems currently faced by his customers and discussing solutions and strategies. His open-ended approach allows audience members to give their input, so come prepared with your questions! If you want to present questions in advance for the meeting, contact Mike at mwecker@carmelcomputers.com.

Wecker has been operating Carmel Computers in Carmel Valley since April 1999, providing software and hardware sales and repairs and training. Prior to that, he worked with Linda Sandidge at Central Coast Computers in Carmel from 1997-1999, doing sales and tech work, and before that, he was the purchasing manager at PC People from 1994-1997. Always a person with many community activities, he is also the regular Drummer for Paper Wing Theatre.

Originally from Georgia, Mike has spent most of his life in Pacific Grove, Monterey, and Marina, and since 1999, in Cachagua in upper Carmel Valley.

MBUG September General MeetingWEDNESDAY, September 13, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

Thoughts on VolunteeringWe start the September 13 meeting with again welcoming Jordan Azevedo, Director of Operations and Programs at Loaves, Fishes, and Computers, and will meet Linda Segovia, LFC’s new Americorps VIP Fellow. They will discuss what LFC’s goals are in the community, what’s new at LFC, and provide details about an opportunity to help seniors receive computers with Meals on Wheels.

Thinking Outside the (Computer) BoxStar Reierson has some thought-provoking and fun TED Talks to present. You think you know how to tie your shoes, right? But Terry Moore has a new take on how to do it, and Star says, “Trust me, you will never tie your shoes again the same way!” Join us and learn this and, as added stimulus, learn how to make the BEST PAPER AIRPLANE based on a technique called The Nakamura Lock.

Artificial Intelligence, Now and FutureJames Young will present the TED Talk on “Can we build AI without losing control over it?” Watch what neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris has to say about AI. It is something to think about, with where technology is today, and on into the future. As robotics impinge more and more on our daily lives, we face deep issues of ethics and control.

Note: Please see Star’s column on page 3 of the Newsletter. We hope you will attend and enjoy this (probably) next to last MBUG general meeting.

MBUG July General MeetingWEDNESDAY, July 12, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

Do you use one or more devices to read digital books, newspapers, magazines, or the news? Here is a chance to compare devices and ask questions to help optimize usage or perhaps make a decision for a future purchase.

At the July 12 general meeting, MBUG President Jeff Helms, whose day job is as an electronics technician for the National Weather Service, will give a presentation about e-readers. He will discuss various readers, their different formats, and conversion programs. He will also demonstrate Calibre, an e-book manager, and, as time allows, will discuss related apps and sources for free audio books. So bring your devices, prepare to ask questions, and participate by sharing problems and experiences.

For more information and questions in advance, contact Helms at jeffro270@gmail.com.

MBUG May General MeetingWEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

For our May general meeting, we welcome a team led by Carlos Lopez, sales manager, along with Mark Rebolledo, tech supervisor, from Staples in Seaside as our presenters. They will be reviewing the range of issues presented to the technical services desk at Staples, like recent virus attacks, typical scams, and spam. They will show us how to close the browser when the screen freezes and tells you “YOU ARE INFECTED WITH THE ZEUS VIRUS. Do not attempt to reboot your machine. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx immediately.”

Carlos and Mark will showcase the new, exciting products like Liquid-Armour and Whoosh! sanitizer that can be used on your phone or laptop (even the touch screen!). They may even be able to demonstrate the revolutionary range expander called Orbi.

The Staples spent ink cartridge recycling program has helped to fund our educational programs for many years (see item on page 11). We now include Staples on our page of MBUG Supporters (see page 9) and welcome the new store general manager, Jimmy Torres. For more information or follow-up, Carlos, Mark, and Jimmy can be reached at 831-393-2102, or email jimmy.torres@staples.com.

MBUG March General MeetingWEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

At our general meeting on March 8, long-time MBUG member Dan Presser will treat us to another colorful presentation of one of his travel adventure trips. This time he will give us a look at Going on Safari in Botswana.

Presser will also go over the process he uses to manage his trip photographs and put together slide shows, including the use of Microsoft’s PowerPoint application for the final product.

Presser is the owner of FourWinds Travel in Carmel, California, and has been organizing and leading tour groups for over twenty years to many interesting and exotic places, including Botswana, Uganda, around the tip of South America, and the jungles of Borneo, and in July, he will explore Mongolia. He has provided many enjoyable trip reviews to MBUG over the years, and here is your chance to share in another adventure!

To ask questions or get information in advance, contact Dan Presser at info@fourwindstravel.com.

MBUG January General MeetingWEDNESDAY, January 11, 2017 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

Start the year off right by learning how to “unshare” your life with Microsoft. Star Reierson, owner (now retired) of Computer Power since 1984, will guide us through some of the ways to deactivate Microsoft’s tendency to collect data on your every move.

She will show you how to turn off Cortana—are you using it?—and discuss alternatives to One Drive, Microsoft’s on-line storage that competes with Google Drive and Apple Cloud, among others. Who knew that the “sync settings,” buried in the privacy section of Microsoft’s sixteen screens of setup routine defaults means “send all data regarding my preferences to Microsoft’s servers?”

Reierson’s talk will be based on a news story published in Network World by Howard Wen (October 31, 2016) titled “The Paranoid User’s Guide to Win 10 Privacy.”

If you have questions that you would like addressed in advance of the MBUG general meeting, please email Reierson at star@computerpowerstar.com.

MBUG November General MeetingWEDNESDAY, November 9, 2016 – 7:00 to 9:00 pmHilltop Park Center871 Jessie Street, MontereyFREE to MBUG Members and the General Public

For our November general meeting, we welcome a team led by Carlos Lopez, sales manager, along with Mark Rebolledo, tech supervisor, from Staples in Seaside as our presenters.

Wondering what to buy for people who have everything? Prepare to attend and make a list! This is our yearly meeting where we get to hear about interesting devices and new products to buy. Lopez says he will “bring goodies” to demo some good holiday gifts. For example, you may have heard about Liquid-Armour, a currently hot item that utilizes nano coating technology, which can protect all touch screens—come and hear the discussion!

The Staples ink cartridge recycling program has helped to fund our educational programs for many years (see item on Newsletter page 11). We now include Staples on our page of MBUG Supporters (see Newsletter page 9) and welcome new store general manager Michael Williams. For more information or follow-up, he can be emailed at michael.williams2@staples.com.